FIFA Rankings
There are 16 World Cup qualifiers in Europe this Friday 12th October and I’m going to use it to test out the current FIFA world rankings. So here is a list of the teams playing alongside their current FIFA world ranking.
Russia 12 v Portugal 3
Luxembourg 142 v Israel 82
Finland 88 v Georgia 65
Belarus 87 v Spain 1
Turkey 36 v Romania 46
Estonia 69 v Hungary 49
Netherlands 6 v Andorra 201
Faroe Islands 158 v Sweden 21
Kazakhstan 147 v Austria 59
Rep of Ireland 28 v Germany 2
Moldova 145 v Ukraine 42
England 5 v San Marino 207
Serbia 33 v Belgium 30
Wales 57 v Scotland 56
Macedonia 104 v Croatia 11
Armenia 64 v Italy 8
My criteria is going to be to pick home teams rated 10 places or higher than the opposition and away teams rated 20 places or higher than the opposition. Now I know this is a very rough and ready system and won’t wheedle out great value bets but I’m just going to see what teams it picks out for me and what they would pay if I put them in an acca. Well here goes my teams followed by their current odds are:
Israel away to Luxembourg 1/4
Georgia away to Finland 3/1
Spain away to Belarus 1/6
Turkey home to Romania 4/6
Hungary away to Estonia 6/4
Netherlands home to Andorra 1/100
Sweden away to Faroe Islands 1/10
Austria away to Kazakhstan 4/5
Germany away to Rep of Ireland 1/2
Ukraine away to Moldova 4/11
England at home to San Marino 1/100
Croatia away to Macedonia 5/6
Italy away to Armenia 2/5
A lot of short ones in there I know, but a few around the evens mark and Georgia a big price at 3/1.
I reckon if all 13 copped an acca would pay in excess of 250/1 but more I’m a spread betting man and I reckon the spread price for correct predictions is 8-9. Well let’s see how this crude FIFA rankings tipping goes. I can’t believe any system that ranks England (not won anything since The Swinging 60’s) above Italy (won it in 2006). I’d better do the acca for smalls just in case. If the system goes well I’ll run it again in the Tuesday qualifiers. Well cheerio for now.
